Best chefs in America? New book says 60 are from Houston

Never heard of Best Chefs in America?
Neither had I until I saw a post on Facebook with the BCA logo. The post had a photo of a letter with the aforementioned logo and a blushing Randy Evans of Haven in the background.

I received a self-congratulatory news release from another Houston chef today in the mail.

A quick search turned up this: “Best Chefs America” is a coffee-table book profiling, well, the best chefs in the United States. It’s being pubbed by a team based in Charleston, S.C.

So how were these chefs selected? Let BCA explain:

From March – December, 2012, Best Chefs America analysts conducted more than 5,000 confidential telephone interviews with chefs who were nominated by other chefs, culinary professionals and food enthusiasts across the country. The interviews consisted of a series of proprietary questions, and software was used to aggregate the data. Chefs earning the most acknowledgements among their peers in their region were included in the guide.
The results were compiled into a 386-page guide, appearing in a coffee table format, listing nearly 4,700 chefs and their corresponding restaurants throughout the country.

You can get your copy of “Best Chefs America” for $75 here.

According to their FAQ page, there were no fees associated with being mentioned in the book. Chefs can, however, show their pride by ordering a “hey-look-I’m-a-BCA” plaque ($125), patch ($25) or window decal ($10).

And while I don’t have the book in my hands, I’d be disappointed in spending my hard-earned $75 if it is as it appears in the online preview. Chefs appear to be listed by state, no picture of the chefs and minimal info (name, restaurant, address, phone and website) is provided.

So who among Houston-area chefs made the cut? The shorter question is who didn’t. Here is a list provided by the nice folks at BCA:

In an e-mail, BCA marketing coordinator Elizabeth B. Fishburne said, “while this may seem like a lengthy list of names, the chefs included in ‘Best Chefs America’ reflect only a small percentage of all professional cooks in the United States. Inclusion in Best Chefs America is not limited to Executive Chefs alone — our Best Chefs are included because of the recognition of their talent among their peers, regardless of where the chefs rank in the kitchen.”